While a novelization of the eleventh Star Trek movie, it's also a reinterpretation of the basic events in the story. This book offers more insight into Nero's thought processes (mad as they are) and offers a "canon" explanation for how Jim beat the Kobayashi Maru. It's intended as a supplement and not to be read in place of watching the film. Anyone who reads the book and watches the movie will find significant differences.

Trek fans who can take things with a grain of salt. And suspend their disbelief to a great extent.

The characterization of Chekov was a little bit better in this book than in the movie and somewhat closed to the TOS version. He seemed more serious and made it a little more clear how valuable he was as a tactical officer even though he only ranked an ensign. The other main strength of the book was that Nero's sympathy for humanity not only had a chance to show itself but also made sense. In the movie, Nero cam across as almost too vengeful. In this book, we get a glimpse at how he really feels about destroying Earth. Ayel also gets more development here as well.

The second half. It seemed as if Alan Dean Foster chucked the script and said, "It's time to make it up as I go along!" There are a lot of deviations between this book and the movie. frankly, I thought the movie was better in interpreting the various events that occurred after Vulcan caved in on itself.

Rewatch the movie and look for other discrepencies.

Totally bemused. The longer I read it, the more I kept thinking What in the world is going on here? That is completely illogical!

Has written many media novelizations and is a fantasy/science fiction author of original works.

You find out what happens to Admiral Archer's dog, which is pretty funny. Likewise, the Chekov characterization and exploration into the Romulan motives works better on the page than on the screen.

It messes with canon a lot. If you don't like people mucking with canon, this is not for you.

The first half of the book (which follows more closely to the movie) is kind of slow paced, but the second half is surprisingly quick. Don't ask me to explain that because I don't have a clue.

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Created Jun 13, 2010 at 9:37pm • Submit your own review...